Spindle coupling

ABSTRACT

A spindle to be intermittently driven by a continuously rotating belt is journaled on mounting arm which is swingable on a supporting rail about a pivotal axis parallel to the spindle axis. A lever fulcrumed on the spindle carries two rollers coacting with an encircling track fixed to the rail, the two rollers defining with respective recesses in the track a pair of stable positions in which the lever can be indexed by a toggle mechanism articulated to the mounting arm and the lever. A torsion spring anchored to the rail and to the mounting arm tends to swing the latter into the first stable position in which a whorl on the spindle engages the driving belt for frictional entrainment thereby; in the alternate stable position the spindle is decoupled from the belt.

O Minted States Patent 51 3,640,l

lEcltholt Feb. 8, 1972 [54] SPHNDLE COUPLING 3,045,416 7/1962 Ubbelohoe ..57/5 1 .6 X

[72] Inventor: ljeinrich Eckholt, Munster, Westphalia, FORHGN PATENTS 0R ppu -n uermany 611,519 11/1948 Great Britain ..57/89 [73] Assignee: Hamel I G.m.b.fl. Zwirnmasehinen, Munstel'lwestphalial Germany 1 Primary Examiner-Leonard H. Gerin 22 Filed: Sept. a, 1970 -K ROSS [2]] Appl. No.: 70,122 [57] ABSTRACT A spindle to be intermittently driven by a continuously rotatg APPIIMUOII y D818 ing belt is joumaled on mounting arm which is swingable on a supporting rail about a pivotal axis parallel to the spindle axis. Sept Ge y 69 35 778'4 A lever fulcrumed on the spindle carries two rollers coacting 1 I I with an encircling track fixed to the rail, the two rollers defin- [52 U S Cl .74/242 15 R, 57/77.45, g with respecme recesses in the track a p of Stable p [51] ML Cl F16 7/10 Dolh 13 ll 4 D01 h 7/46 tions in which the lever can be indexed by a toggle mechanism 58] Fi d d 74/203 242 H 6 242 '5 articulated to the mounting arm and the lever A torsion 77 spring anchored to the rail and to the mounting arm tends to swing the latter into the first stable position in which a whorl on the spindle engagesthe driving belt for frictional entrain- [56] References Cited ment thereby; in the alternate stable position the spindle is UNITED STATES PATENTS decoupled from the belt.

1,993,584 3/1935 Bartholomew ..57/89 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 8 I972 SHEET 1 [1F 2 FIG. I

I Heinrich Eckholf INVENTOR.

Attorney mtmen ma amz SHEET 2 IF 2 Heinrich Eckholf IN VEN'I'OR.

q Attorney SPINDLE COUPLING My present invention relates to a coupling mechanism for use in spinning or twisting installations of thread-processing plants wherein a bank of parallel, usually upright spindles are rotatively entrainable by a common driving means, such as a transmission belt, and are selectively disengageable therefrom for the replacement of bobbins or for the repair of a thread rupture.

The mounting of each spindle shaft on an individual swingable arm, designed to be moved into and out of a Mlt-engaging position, offers a practical solution for the problem of selective decoupling but is not free from drawbacks. Thus, the use of springs, weights or equivalent biasing means urging the whorl portion of each spindle shaft toward the belt exerts a considerable deflecting force upon-the latter whereby both belt and its pulleys are subjected to great stress.

It is, therefore, the general object of my present invention to provide an improved coupling mechanism for the purpose described (though applicable also to single-spindle drives) which forms a positive backstop for the spindle shaft in be working position, thereby allowing for the use of a reduced biasing force to maintain contact between the belt and the spindle whorl or dispensing with the need for such biasing force altogether.

Another object is to provide means in such a spindle coupling for positively preventing any untimely return of the spindle shaft into its belt-engaging position upon having been decoupled therefrom, thus ensuring maintenance of either the driven or the nondriven state even in the presence of shocks, vibrations or beit flutter. These objects are realized, in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a swingable member such as the aforementioned mounting arm whose pivotal axis is parallel to the axis of the spindle shaft joumaled thereon, a toggle mechanism cooperating with this mounting member and with its base for releasably indexing that member in either a first or working position or a second or idling position into which the mounting member is displaceable by operating means such as a manually controlled lever.

More specifically, the toggle mechanism may include a rotatable element on the spindle shaft, such as an annular extremity of theoperating lever referred to, articulated to a springloaded linkage which is also pivoted to the mounting member for biasing it toward either side of an intermediate unstable position, the rotatable element being provided with camming means engaging a seat in a fixed eccentric track, at least partly encircling the spindle axis, in either of two stable positions whichrespectively coincide withthe working and the idling position of the spindle shaft.

In an advantageous embodiment, the camming means comprises two male formations (preferably rollers) which alternately enter two peripherally spaced recesses in thetrack, these recesses being disposed substantially 180 apart in a diametrical plane passing through the point of contact between the spindle .whorl and the belt of equivalent driving means. In this case, the recess more remote fromthe point of contact forms a backstop for the spindle by receiving the corresponding formation in the working position, the other or proximal recess positively holding the spindle away from the driving means in the alternate or idling position.

A biasing means, such as a torsion spring, may urge the mounting member toward the working position, aiding the associated toggle spring, with the combined spring force insufficient to dislodge the corresponding camming formation from its seat against the resiliency of the engaged belt.

These and other features of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description given with reference to, the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a side elevational view in partial section of a preferred embodiment of a spindle-coupling according to the invention;

FIG. -2 shows a top view of the spindle coupling in its engaged position as seen along line IIII in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 depicting the spindle coupling in its disengaged position.

In FIG. 1 the lower portion of a spindle shaft 22 for a thread bobbin or the like is shown, mounted on a rail 10 for bobbinbuilding purposes and may carry several such spindles alongside one another. A bearing 14 is fixed to rail 10 and supports a freely rotatable bolt 16 to whose upper end an arm I8 is fastened for swinging about an axis parallel to spindle axis 0. A torsion spring 26 with an upperend anchored in arm l8 and a lower end fixed to an apertured plate 12 rigid with rail urges arm 18 in the clockwise direction (arrow B) as shown in FIGv 2, i.e., toward a working position in which a whorl 24 on the lower end of spindle shaft 22 engages a reversible belt 28 moving continuously in e.g., direction of arrow C, thereby rotating spindle 22 in a clockwise sense.v Spindle shaft 22 is joumaled in a bearing sleeve depending from arm 18.

The lower, free end of arm 18 forms a hub 30 for a lever arm 32 carrying a knob 58, this arm resting on a washer 34 which in turn bears upon a nut 36 threaded onto bearing sleeve 20. The underside of arm 32 is provided with two rollers 42 and 42 which coact with an eccentric track surface 44 in plate 12. When spindle whorl 24 engages the drive belt 28,

. as shown in FIG. 2, roller 42 is received in arecess 56 of track surface 44 while roller 42v stands clear of that surface. In the disengaged position shown in FIG. 3, roller 42 is received in a recess 56' of track 44 while roller 42 is out of contact therewith. Plate 12 is further supported on rail 10 by a leg 11.

Arm 32 is indexable in either of the aforedescribed extreme positions by a toggle mechanism 52. A tubular housing 46, forming part of this mechanism, has an axially extending slot 60 through which a pin 38 rising from arm 32 enters to engage a piston head inside cylinder 46. A spring 48 is compressed between piston head 40 and the opposite end 50 of cylinder 46. End 50 has a bifurcation 64 hinged to a lug 66 on arm 18 by a pin-54 about which the telescoping assembly 40, 46 is swingable.

In the driving position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, arm 18 is held against rotation by the stress of spring 48 keeping the roller 42 in its recess 56, thereby ensuring continuous engagement ofwhorl 24and belt 28 in spite of vibrations and shocks transmitted to spindle shaft 22 and arm 18.

Disengagement of whorl 24 from belt 28 is achieved by swinging the handle 32 counterclockwise, i.e., in the direction of arrow A, into the idling position shown in FIG. 3. As toggle mechanism 52 moves from one stable position to the other,

spring 48 is compressed to resist such swing until pin 38 is aligned with pin 54 and spindle axis 0, expanding thereafter to accelerate the swing until roller 42 comes to rest in recess 56' so as to keep the spindle whorl 24 out of engagement with belt 28 with no possibility of accidental reengagement due to vibration or shock.

The track surface 44 and the rollers 42, 42' coacting therewith areadvantageously made from or coated with longwearing low-friction material, such as Teflon, requiring no lubrication or other maintenance steps.

It will be noted the recesses 56 and 56' lie substantially in a diametrical plane which includes the axis 0 of spindle shaft 22 and passes through the point of contact P between whorl 24 and the shafbengaging run of drivebelt 28 (FIG. 2). Thus, the resiliency of this belt tends to maintain the engagement between. roller 42 and the remote recess 56 in the working position of FIG. 2, against the combined force of toggle spring 48. and biasing spring 26, whereas this combined spring force is effective in the idling position of FIG. 3 to hold the roller 42' in the proximal recess 56' which positively prevents any clockwise swing of mounting am 18 and spindle bearing 20 toward belt 28.

I claim:

1. A spindle coupling comprising a base; a mounting member connected with said base for swinging about a pivotal axis; a spindle shaft rotatably joumaled on said member parallel to said pivotal axis; continuously movable driving means disposed alongsidesaid shaft for frictionally cntraining same in a first position of said member while being disengaged therefrom in a second position of said member; operating means for alternately swinging said member into said first and second positions; and toggle means cooperating with said base and said member for releasably indexing the latter in either of said positions.

2. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein said toggle means comprises a rotatable element on said shaft, an eccentric track on said base at least partly encircling said element, and a spring-loaded linkage articulated to said member and said element for biasing the latter toward either side of an intermediate unstable position, said element being provided with camming means yieldably engaging a seat in said track in either of two stable positions respectively coinciding with said first and second positions of said member.

3. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 2 wherein said track has two peripherally spaced recesses, said camming means including projecting formations alternately receivable in said recesses.

4. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 3 wherein said rotatable element comprises a manually operable lever.

5. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage comprises a telescoped assembly with two relatively movable parts and an interposed compression spring, one of said parts being pivoted to said lever at a location remote from the shaft axis.

6. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said one of said parts is a piston head, the other of said parts being a cylinder slidably receiving said piston head and said compression spring.

7. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said recesses lie substantially apart in a diametrical plane passing through the point of contact between said driving means and said shaft, one of said recesses being remote from said point of contact and being engaged by one of said formations in said first position of said member, the other of said recesses being proximal to said point of contact and being engaged by the other of said formations in said second position of said member.

8. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 7 wherein said driving means comprises a belt with a shaft-engaging run substantially perpendicular to said diametrical plane.

9. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 3 wherein said formations are rollers with axis parallel to the shaft axis.

10. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 1, further comprising resilient biasing means tending to swing said member into said first position thereof. 

1. A spindle coupling comprising a base; a mounting member connected with said base for swinging about a pivotal axis; a spindle shaft rotatably journaled on said member parallel to said pivotal axis; continuously movable driving means disposed alongside said shaft for frictionally entraining same in a first position of said member while being disengaged therefrom in a second position of said member; operating means for alternately swinging said member into said first and second positions; and toggle means cooperating with said base and said member for releasably indexing the latter in either of said positions.
 2. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein said toggle means comprises a rotatable element on said shaft, an eccentric track on said base at least partly encircling said element, and a spring-loaded linkage articulated to said member and said element for biasing the latter toward either side of an intermediate unstable position, said element being provided with camming means yieldably engaging a seat in said track in either of two stable positions respectively coinciding with said first and second positions of said member.
 3. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 2 wherein said track has two peripherally spaced recesses, said camming means including projecting formations alternately receivable in said recesses.
 4. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 3 wherein said rotatable element comprises a manually operable lever.
 5. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage comprises a telescoped assembly with two relatively movable parts and an interposed compression spring, one of said parts being pivoted to said lever at a location remote from the shaft axis.
 6. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said one of said parts is a piston head, the other of said parts being a cylinder slidably receiving said piston head and said compression spring.
 7. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said recesses lie substantially 180* apart in a diametrical plane passing through the point of contact between said driving means and said shaft, one of said recesses being remote from said point of contact and being engaged by one of said formations in said first position of said member, the other of said recesses being proximal to said point of contact and being engaged by the other of said formations in said second position of said member.
 8. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 7 wherein said driving means comprises a belt with a shaft-engaging run substantially perpendicular to said diametrical plane.
 9. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 3 wherein said formations are rollers with axes parallel to the shaft axis.
 10. A spindle coupling as defined in claim 1, further comprising resilient biasing means tending to swing said member into said first position thereof. 